Short Summary

Ambassador Edwin Ogbu, Nigeria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, on Wednesday (March 21) called on the Security Council to apply all appropriate measures to deal with the grave situation in South Africa and secure the eradication of Apartheid.

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Ambassador Edwin Ogbu, Nigeria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, on Wednesday (March 21) called on the Security Council to apply all appropriate measures to deal with the grave situation in South Africa and secure the eradication of Apartheid.

Mr. Ogbu, who is also Chairman of the U.N. Special Committee on Apartheid, was speaking at the Security Council meeting at Panama on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Mr. Ogbu also appealed to South Africa's main trading partners to consider their present attitude and allow effective action to be taken by the Security Council.

Mr. Ogbu says on film: "The South African regime, by resorting to brutal repressive measures against the African people and their movements, and of all those opposed to apartheid, has tried to persuade the world that the country was peaceful. It has been assisted in this propaganda by some foreign interests which benefit from the system of apartheid in South Africa.

"The recent events in South Africa, particularly the recent strikes by the black workers against the inhuman exploitation and the denial of elementary trade union rights, belie this propaganda. Behind the apparent peace enforced by vicious repression, the situation has become even more explosive."
SYNOPSIS: On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council meeting in Panama turned from the problems of Latin America to the problem of Apartheid in South Africa. one of the most outspoken was Ambassador Edwin Ogbu of Nigeria.